English Assignment Script

The Mexican Dead Day Tradition

Darren : Tourist
Jevan : Local Mexican
Jonathan : Local Mexican
Kevin : The Spirit
Priscilla : Local Mexican
Rafaella : Local Mexican
Susan : Local Mexican

Darren : (on the phone) “Hello... hello? What i can’t really hear you.Hello hello?! (beep beep
beep, phone disconnect)” (out of the scene)
Jevan : “Hey look, I think that man is a little lost, do you want to help him?”
Jonathan : “So? It has nothing to do with me.”
Jevan : “Hey come on, we have to be nice”
Jonathan : “Okay I’m just kidding. Let’s ask him what’s wrong”
(Darren get into the scene)
Jevan : “Ola! What’s wrong? You look confused”
Jonathan : “That’s right, you must be a tourist right?”
Darren : “Oh hello! How do you know that? Actually I’ve just landed here and I’m trying to find
my relatives and my phone is not working, do you mind to help me? “
Jonathan : “Why not? But for now, how about you come with us if you would like to?”
Darren :”Is it really okay?”
Jonathan :”That’s all right, we insist that you come with us. Tomorrow we will search for the
address you are looking for.”
Darren :”Wow, that’s really nice of you.”
(While on the way home something caught Darren’s attention)
Darren :”Hey guys what are those people doing spreading flower petals along the street and
dressing up like that?”
Jonathan :”It’s for the Dia de Muertos celebration that’s held annually”
Darren :”Diad what..?”
Jonathan :”Dia de Muerots. It’s a festival that allows us to keep a good relationship with the dead.
That’s why it is also called ‘Day of the Dead’ it is usually started on the 31st October
through the 2nd November. The festival centers around remembering and honoring your
loved one who have passed away. We are all going to die anyway at some point in life so
it’s better for us to keep a good relationship with the dead.
Jevan :”Wait, I just realized that we haven’t introduced ourselves properly. It may be a little
too late but better late than never. Well, I’m Jevan and this is my brother Jonathan.”
Darren :”Nice to meet you my name is Darren and I’m from China.”
Jevan :”While talking about Dia de Muertos how about we go to the grave.”
Darren :”What are we going to do at the grave?”
Jonathan :”Today is the 1st of November so it’s the Day of the Dead so it’s normal for us to visit
the grave. We are going to pay respect and support their spiritual journey. In Mexican
culture, death is viewed as a natural part of the human cycle.”
Jevan :”Not as a day of sadness but as a day of celebration because our loved ones awake and
celebrate with us!”
Darren :”Okay let’s go!!”

(They finally arrived at the grave)

Darren :”Why are there also many flower petals in the grave?”
Jonathan :”It’s believed that we need to spread lots of flower petals from the grave to our home
so that the flower petals will form a bridge for the dead to cross over to the world of the
living from the afterlife and come back to their home.”
Darren :”What kind of flowers do they use?”
Jonathan :”It’s marigolds.”
Darren :”Why are there lots of food?”
Jonathan :”It’s for the dead too, so when they cross to the world of the living they are able to eat
all of the food before coming back to the afterlife world.”
Jevan :”We believe that our loved ones will be happy for that and we pray for their life in the
afterlife world.”
Darren :”Are you all really believe that they really come?”
Jevan :”Absolutely”
Darren :”Wow, it’s similar to our tradition in China, but we called it qing ming there. We also
believe that the dead come to our world on qing ming day and we have to clean up the
grave and also serve food for them but we don’t spread flowers petals along the street.”
Jevan :”Wow, I’ve never heard that.”
Jonathan :”So this is it! Come on guys let’s pray for our grandfather, Kevin. Hope he rest in peace
and he can be together with us now.”

(Jevan, Jonathan and Darren pray together and Kevin appears)

Kevin :”Hola! My name is Kevin. I’m their late grandfather. I have just came from the afterlife
because today is a special day. I can only visit them in this dead celebration. I really miss
them all. Oh my God! These are my favorite food! (Kevin eats the food) hmm....
Delicious! Well, I had 2 children and 5 grandchildren, and wow look who is here, the
most talkative one, Jonathan ( pointing at Jonathan ) and the biggest one ( pointing at
Jevan). I really thank my grandchildren because they never forget about me. If they ever
forget about me once, I will not be able to visit them anymore. So, I hope that they will
always remember me.
So you guys must be wondering where I live. After I had passed away I lived in the land
of the dead. I lived happily over there, I didn’t need to feel the hardship of life, I met
some of my old friends. However, if my family forget about me I will disappear and I will
be moved into the land of the forgotten and I don’t want that happen to me!”
Jonathan :”God we humbly and trust our brothers and sisters, especially our grandfather, Kevin.
In this life you embraced them with your tender love, deliver them now from every evil
and bid them eternal life. The old order has passed away, welcome them into paradise
Jevan :”Where there will be no sorrow, no weeping or pain, but fullness of peace and joy with
your Son and the Holy Spirit forever and ever, Amen.”
Jonathan :”(crying) I really miss Kevin... now let us spread the flower petals.”
Darren :”For what?”
Jevan :”My God..Haven’t I told you we spread the petals to guide the spirit so they don’t get
lost?”
Darren :”hehe I’m so sorry, I didn’t recall it though, I couldn’t keep up with your explanation.”
Jonathan :”oh no it’s already 5 p.m. Serenia should have done cooking now, let’s go home and
don’t make them wait any longer or she will be very mad!”

(On their way home)

Darren :”Uhm guys, dont we have to bring anything for the dead one ?”
Jonathan :”NO, we only served our traditional and authentic food. However, we also leave
possessions of the deceased at the graves”
Darren :”Just those at all?”
Jonathan :”Yes”
Jevan :”Come on we have to walk faster, we already late.”

(in the house)

Jonathan :”( knocking the door) Olaaa.... la familia.... we’re back from the grave with our new
chinese friend .”
Cilla :”Come on, get in !! We had already been waiting for you, why you guys are so late....
(shocked by Darren appearence) OHLALAAA ... who is this man?!?”
Darren :”Haloo Sinyoritaa I am Darren and I am from China, I come here to visit my relatives,
but after I met Jonathan and Jevan I want to know about Mexican culture more .... “
Jevan :”We take him to the grand father’s grave first, that’s why we are late for dinner.
Cilla :”Oh I see, okay come.. in .. the dish is already finished now let us eat together with this
chinese tourist.”
Darren :”Is it okay if i join your family for dinner, Sinyorrr....???
Cilla :”Priscilia Serenia Iglesias , I’m their la prima”
Darren :”What is la prima means sinyor Serenia?”
Cilla :”In English it means female cousins. We also have 2 other cousins, Rafaella and Susan.
They are already inside.”
Refi :”What Happen Serenia , what took you so long , come inside let us eat together , my
stomach cant wait any longer “
Cilla :”Okay-okayy, that one is Rafaella. come in come in.”

(Darren, Cilla , Jevan, and Jonathan step inside , and Darren shocked with the decoration
of the house)
Darren :”Ola everyone! Nice too meet you. (Darren look at the thing) Wow! The decoration is so
pretty and fancy!
Susan :”Who is that guy?” ( whispering )
Jevan :”He is our new friend from China.”
Refi :”Wow, a new friend from China, sounds great”
Jonathan :”Ah Darren, please meet them first.”
Darren :”Ah sorry, hello! You must be Rafaella and you must be Susan right?”
Susan :”How do you know that?”
Darren :”Sinyor Serenia told me.”
Refi :”Well its nice to meet you Darren.”
Darren :”What is that rack for? , it’s really well decorated!”
Cilla :”It’s called an ofrenda, it’s a collection of objects placed on a ritual display during the
annual and traditionally Mexican Dia de Muertos celebration.
Jevan :”Oh and here is our food, we serve our Traditional Day of the Dead Food items such as
Pan De Muerto, rice, mole, pumpkin, sugar crane, and oranges.
Darren :”Which one is that? Show me, can you?”
Jonathan :”It’s a fluffy sweet bread that is usually consume during the day of the dead. It’s a
round-ish shape bun with dough across the top meant to resemble bones. It’s usually
found on ofrenda.”
Refi :”There’s also something we called banquet, it’s usually used to celebrate the arrival of
our deceased loved ones it consist of their favorite foods and drinks it is placed as an
offering to them. On our ofrenda there is a paper called ‘papel picado’ or in English it
means tissue paper, usually it is coloured red, yellow, white, or purple. It is made into
intricate designs, it represent the union in life and death
There is also flowers on ofrendas we put different colours of flowers. Each colour has a
different meaning, first the red or yellow is meant to guide for the spirits in the mortal
world, second white represents they sky while purple is the traditional colour of
mourning in Mexico culture.”
Susan :”At the bottom of the ofrenda there is something we called Calaveras or skulls are a
representation of the deceased relatives. Made of sugar or chocolate and often
consumed by kids after the celebration. They are an example of the Mexican ability to
celebrate, mock, and play with the dead. At the very bottom of the ofrenda is a white
cross, it is made of slaked lime and drawn on the grown under the altar. It represents
the four cardinal points of corresponding to the four elements. Now it also represent
the Christian cross We usually place salt on a place to prevent the soul of the deceased
from being corrupted by earthly temptation.
There is also a chalice in the ofrenda with incense or copal is placed on the altar. It is a
way to purify the souls of the dead and ward off evil spirits.
Darren :”Wow amazing I can’t believe in Mexico people really care about the dead.”
Cilla :”Okay enough talk, how about we fill our belly first? You guys look hungry.”
Jonathan :”Yeay I love Serenia’s dish!”

(dinner table)
Jevan :”so how is the food for you Darren?”
Darren :”for me this is very delicious!”
Jonathan :”I told you, Serenia is the best”
Cilla :”Just eat your food, Jo..”
Darren :”By the way guys, there is one thing that I’m curious about. Is dia de los muertos the
same with Halloween?”
Jonathan :”Of course not! Both originated with similar afterlife beliefs but are very different in
modern day”
Susan :”Yes, decorating your house with spider and bats and wearing scary costumes is not
done in most parts of Mexico.”
Darren :”Ahhh I see, and ”
Refi :”There is also day of the dead parade to honour the start of the annual dia de muertos
celebrations. It was launched in 2016, so its only the third time a parade like that has
been held in Mexico’s capital.”
Darren :”Wow really? What is in the parade?”
Refi :”The parade displays large skeleton puppets, moving altars, and alebrijes, mythical
spirit creatures, walking along the colourful street. It’s very fun”
Darren :”Sounds good though! I want to see that”
Jonathan :”There were also traditional dancers that made the atmosphere really fun. You have to
see it”
Jevan :”Instead of talking about it longer, how about we go to the festival now, guys?”
Everybody :”Yes!!!”

(Everybody heads out to the festival and Kevin showed up)

Kevin :”I like seeing my family gathering together to celebrate Dia de Los Muertos, I wish I can
come back here every year. And I would like remind everybody to always remember the
deceased. Because if we always remember and cherish them, they can rest peacefully.
Remember, the life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living.”

(Jevan brings his guitar, everyone dancing and singing)

(Everyone leave the stage)